Brake beam



Mardi 7, 1950 R, B, CQTTRELL 2,499,905

jas" 4 .40 lg-I R. B. COTTRELL BRAKE BEAU March 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed oct. 24, 194'?A Patented 7, 1950l Robert B. CottrelL-Chicagoylll.,assigner to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofNew Jersey Application October 24, 1947i, Serial No. 781,900

This invention relates to brake beams and has particular reference toatruss type beam of novel construction.

A general object of the invention is to design a brake beam wherein thetruss structure and brake heads are integrally formed as a singlecasting.

Another object of the invention is to design a novel brake beam such asabove described wherein each end of the beam is formed with a guide lugadapted for reception within an associated support structure, such as abracket, onthe sid frame of a railway car truck.

A further object of the invention is to design a truss type brake beamof simple economical construction and light weight and which shall haveextreme stiffness and absence of deection at thek rated load of suchbeams.

A still further object of the invention is to design a beam of thecharacter under consideration possessing a maximum amount of strengthwith a minimum amount of material by constructlng the tension andcompression members of special form in cross section, and by sodistributing the material as to produce the necessary strength at theparticular points in the beams which experlence has proved are most aptto yield and break when subjected to the heavy loads and strainsincident to their use.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent from a consideration of the specification and thedrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of one embodiment of theinvention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 4 to 7 are fragmentary sectional views taken respectively in theplanes indicated by lines 44, 55, 6-6 and 1-1 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modincation of theinvention;

Figure 9 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is an end view of the structure shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the embodimentillustrated in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, the novel brake beam comprisesa cambered channel or U-section compression member 2, tapering inthickness from the transverse center line of the beam toward eachextremity thereof as may readily be seen .6 Claims. (Cl. 18S-226.1)

in Figure 2. The compression member includes an arcuate rear web 8 andtop and bottom ilanges 4 and 6, as best seen in' Figure 7. The web 8 maybe cored away at spaced points on its neutral axis intermediate themidpoint and each end of the compression member to form oval-shapedopenings I0, I0 elongated longitudinally of said compression member.These openings are designed` not onlyv to reduce the weight of the beamybut also to accommodate bending and deflection of the compressionmeniber in the plane of the beam when loaded. 'A bead I2 may be formedaround the marginal edges of each opening on the in nerface of the web 8to strengthen the construction.

At each end of the compression member y(only one end of the beam beingshown inasmuch as it is identical at its opposite ends) the top andbottom flanges 4 and 6 converge as at I4 and I6 (Figure 2) respectively,and with the rear web 8 merge into a at web or gusset I8, said gussetbeing formed as a continuation of a longitudinal horizontal flange 20 ofa; T-section tension member, v.generally designated 22.

vThe tension member, in addition to the fiange 20 whichforms the leg ofthe T, comprises a longitudinal vertical wall or web 24 forming the headof the T.

The wall 24 of the tension member is continued along the forward edge ofthe gusset I8 and with the forward edge of the gusset merges into afront wall 26 of a conventional brake head, generally designated L28,the-wall 24 merging into the inboard edge of saidfront wall 26 v andthegusset merging into the rear surface of said front wall.

'I'he vbrake head is formed with a conventional keyway 30 for receptionof associated key means (not shown) for securing. anassociated brakeshoe (not shown) to the iront face of the brake head wall 26 in theconventional manner.

The rear surface of the front wall 26 of the brake head is formed with avertical Wall or rib 32 extending transversely of the beam and mergingat its inboard side into the outboard edge of the gusset I 8.

The gusset is connected at its rear edge to a flange 33 of a compressionmember wall 34 forming a T-section therewith, said wall 34 extendinglongitudinally of the beam and merging at one end into the inboard sideof the transverse wall 32 of the brake head and said wall 34 merging atits other end with the top and bottom flanges 4 and 6 of the compressionmember at their converging portions I4 and I6 respectively thegusset.

verticalbeadorwallllisformedonthe inboard edge of the gusset. said beadterminating at one end at the juncture between the compression memberand the gusset and merging into said top and bottom flanges 4 and l ofsaid on member. and at its other end the bead is continued for a shortdistance on the rear edge of the flange of'the tension member,and.asmaybereadilyseeninl"igure Lthebead tapers ci! into said flange 2l.It will be noted that the bead ll adds to the rigidity of the gusset.affords a strong. light connection between the tension and compressionmembers, and serves to distribute stresses more evenly over the entirearea of the gusset.

The rear surface of the brake head wall 2l and the outboard surface ofthe wall 32 are integrally formed with a guide lug 40, preferablydisposed in a diagonal plane and adapted for reception within anassociated support bracket (not shown). The lug 4I is provided withsubstantially identical top and bottom recesses 42 adapted to lightenthe beam and to form convenient receptacles for collecting foreignmatter which may lodge in the associated guide bracket, thus reducingthe tendency of such matter to deposit in the bracket forwardly of thelug 4l, thereby restricting movement of the beam. The recessespreferably terminate inboardly of the outboard extremity of the lug 4Iso that the latter bears at its outboard end against the associatedsupport bracket along a continuous surface. thus preventing gouging ofthe bracket.

It may be noted that the lug 4il is provided on its top surface with aflange 44, merging into the outboard side of the brake head wall I2 atits rear extremity to afford a strong connection to the brake head. Bymeans of this connection a relatively strong guide lug structure isprovided.

resulting in substantial economy in the manufacture of the beam.

The beam is provided at its transverse center line with a strut 4tconnected between the compression and tension members 2 and 22, as bestseen in Figure 1. The strut is, in general, a hollow cylindrical ortubular structure, flaring outwardly at its rear extremity and connectedto the top and bottom flanges 4 and 8 of the compression member. Thestrut is provided with a brake lever slot 48 and a pin opening 50traversing said slot and adapted for the reception of a pin (not shown)adapted to afford a fulcrum for a brake lever (not shown). The forwardor front end of the tubular strut 46 emerges into the vertical wall 24of the tension member and is connected at opposite sides thereof to theflange 2l of the tension member by horizontal webs S2, l2 (Figure 1).Thus it will be seen that Ihave devised a novel brake beam in which allthe Aparts are integrally formed as a single casting to afford maximumstrength with minimum weight.

Referring now to the modifiedlembodiment of the invention illustrated inFigures 8 to 10, inelusive, it will be understood that the. beam thereinshown is substantially identical with that of Figures 1 to 7 except thatthe bead 38 at the inner edge of the gusset i4 is eliminated and the'gusset is shortened. The parts of this beam corresponding to those ofthe beam shown in 4 Figures 1 to 7, inclusive. are identified bycorresponding reference numerals.

Itmaybenotedbyreferencetol'igures2and 9. that the juncture of thecompression member flanges 4 and i. which converge as above described atI4 and Il. with the front flange It of the compression member wall 84.defines a wish-bone section in a vertical plane extending longitudinallyof the compression member and intersecting said flanges. Thisconstruction has been found to afford unusually great strength andflexibility in railway service.

Itistobeunderstoodthatldonotwiahto be limited by the exact embodimentsof the device shown which are merely by way of illueh'ation and notlimitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course.beapparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the claims.

Iclaixn:

i. A brake beam casting comprising a compression member having an endportion with a rear wall and a ilange projecting forwardly therefrom. atension member connected to said ange. a brake head connected to atleast one of said members. said compression member having anotherportion of U-sectlon including top and bottom flanges merging with saidnrstnamed flange to define a wishbone section inbo'ardly of said head ina vertical plane extending longitudinally of the compression member andintersecting said flanges.

2. A brake beam casting comprising a compression member having aU-section portion with a rear web and top and bottom flanges, a tensionmember. a strut connecting the tension member to said portion, a brakehead connected to said beam, said compression member having a T- sectionportion including a rear wall defining the head of the T and formed as acontinuation of the first-mentioned rear wall, said last-mentionedpo:tion comprising a front flange defining the leg of the T andconnected to the tension member, said first-named flanges merging withsaid front nange to form a Wishbone section inboardly of the brake headin a vertical p!ane extending longitudinally of said compression memberand intersecting said flanges.

3. A brake beam casting. according to claim 2, wherein the rear wall ofthe U-section portion is provided with a plurality of openings spacedlongitudinally thereof and adapted to impart flexibility to saidportion.

4. A brake beam casting, according to claim 2, wherein a substantiallyvertical wall is connected to the front flange in the region of itsmerger with the first-named flanges and extending arcuately outboardlytherefrom and then inboardly along the rear edge of the tension member.said vertical wall terminating intermediate the ends of the tensionmember.

5. A brake beam casting comprisingva compression member having aU-section portion with a rear web and top and bottom flanges, a T-section tension member having a front wall forming the head of the T anda rear flange forming the leg of the T. a strutconnecting the tensionmember to said portion, said compression member'having a T-section endportion including a rear wall defining the head of its T and formed as acontinuation of the web and includingr a front flange defining the legof its ,'r, said front and rear flanges being coplanar and merging attheendofthecastingtodefinesnendportlon having an integral brake headmember attached thereto, said top and bottom flanges merging with saidfront ilange to define a Wishbone section of the juncture between theU-section portion and the T-section portion of the compression member ina vertical plane extending longitudinally of said compression member andinter secting said flanges.

6. A brake beam comprising a truss including tension and compressionmembers and brake heads at the ends thereof, said compression memberhaving a central portion with top and bottom ilanges and having aT-section portion at each end thereof including a rear wall having afront flange, said top and bottom flanges converging toward and mergingwith the front flange to deilne a wish-bone section in a planeapproximately perpendicular to the plane of the truss 6 and extendinglongitudinally of the compression member and intersecting said flanges.

ROBERT B. CO'I'IRELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Sept. 13, 1932

